American Heritage NHSI Preview

USA Baseball’s annual high school tournament, the National High School Invitational, is one of the premier high school tournaments in the country and one of the biggest events on the draft schedule as well, bringing together 16 of the top teams in the country. This year’s tournament will have some of the most impressive talent in the event’s seven-year history and will take place in Cary at USA Baseball’s National Training Complex from March 28-31. Baseball America will preview teams as we lead up to the event.

Overview

American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.) High enters the 2018 NHSI with a well-rounded, talented team led by several upperclassmen and a standout group of sophomores. Additionally, American Heritage is ranked No. 13 in the latest High School Top 25 rankings.

Head coach Bruce Aven’s squad is led by 1B/3B Triston Casas and infielder Cory Acton, both of whom are immensely talented hitters; the former with prodigious power to all fields and the latter with a professional approach at the plate. Casas, who is committed to Miami, is ranked No. 28 on BA's Top 300 draft prospects list, while Acton, a Florida commit, is ranked No. 162 on the BA 300.

In total, American Heritage has 13 players committed to play in college—10 of whom are committed to Division I programs. Four of those players are members of the 2020 class, including first baseman Gavin Casas—Triston’s younger brother—who is committed to Vanderbilt, center fielder Enrique Bradfield (Vanderbilt), shortstop Jordan Carrion (Florida) and designated hitter Gio Ferraro (Miami).

On the mound, American Heritage is led by senior righthander Bailey Mantilla, a Miami commit with a big curveball and 2019 lefthander Ryan Cabarcas, who is committed to Florida.

The club comes into the tournament with a deep team filled with experience—American Heritage attended the 2017 NHSI as well—and impact hitters, though if there was one bone to pick with the club it might be the lack of team speed.